BIRTH EDUCATION RESOURCES

Below is a small collection of videos, book recommendations and great articles for you to read as you prepare for baby! Let me know if you have any resources that should be added, or topics you would like covered!

home waterbirth of Sloane. Please do not copy/embed the video/link onto other sites without permission. Copyright remains with Natasha Hance of NHance Photography. NHancePhotography@gmail.com Find me on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/NHance-Photography/122688714431235

Things to Watch

"The Business of Being Born" on Netflix
Positive Birth Stories
http://www.positivebirthstories.com/
http://www.positivebirthmovement.org/pbm-blog
This Prenatal Class to learn all your body is doing during birth
“Why not Home” (I have a copy, just let me know if you’d like to watch!)

Books to Read

Guide to Childbirth - Ina May Gaskin
Birth Partner - Penny Simkin
Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering - Sarah Buckley
The Womantly Art of Breastfeeding - La Leche League International
Ina May’s Guide to Breastfeeding - Ina May Gaskin
Spiritual Midwifery - Ina May Gaskin

*Don’t read “What to Expect when You’re Expecting”, it’s very negative and fear-based!

Informed Choice

http://www.birthtakesavillage.com/no-have-to-in-childbirth/

http://avivaromm.com/good-girl-health-hazard?inf_contact_key=aa42e68a013d7d18814185993b5b535fb031894e79d4435ca82ae582f039a1bd

http://improvingbirth.org/2013/02/a-healthy-baby-isnt-enough/

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/suzy-ashworth/stop-expecting-birth-hell_b_6461242.html

http://alert.psychnews.org/2017/01/exposure-to-synthetic-oxytocin-may.html?m=1

http://www.acog.org/Resources-And-Publications/Committee-Opinions/Committee-on-Obstetric-Practice/Approaches-to-Limit-Intervention-During-Labor-and-Birth

How to find birth evidence on your own: http://evidencebasedbirth.com/find-evidence-cochranelibrary/

Choosing a Care Provider (or finding a new one!)

This choice also depends on where you would like to give birth, and if you feel safer either at home or at the hospital. There is no "wrong" choice of where to birth, or with whom, but just like everything else, it's important to know all of your options, the stats, facts and the positives and negatives of each. In any case, be sure that you are fully supported in the decisions YOU make.

http://cfpcwp.com/MCDG/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/CD004667_standard.pdf

http://www.birthtakesavillage.com/questions-woman-ob/

Birth Plans/Wishes

http://www.birthingnaturally.net/birthplan/sample/

http://thehumbledhomemaker.com/2012/08/a-sample-hospital-birth-plan.html

http://www.birthtakesavillage.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Birth_Vision_template.pdf

Due Dates

http://www.drmomma.org/2009/06/lie-of-estimated-due-date-edd-why-your.html

http://evidencebasedbirth.com/evidence-on-inducing-labor-for-going-past-your-due-date/

http://www.bellybelly.com.au/pregnancy/40-reasons-to-give-baby-40-weeks-of-pregnancy/

http://www.mothering.com/articles/the-last-days-of-pregnancy-a-place-of-in-between/

Natural Birth

http://www.birthtakesavillage.com/category/natural-birth/

http://evidencebasedbirth.com/the-evidence-for-doulas/

http://wellnessmama.com/6657/natural-birth-options/

http://www.mothering.com/articles/ecstatic-birth/

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/03/the-most-scientific-birth-is-often-the-least-technological-birth/254420/

Routine Interventions/Augmentation + Drugs

http://www.cochrane.org/CD009234/PREG_pain-management-for-women-in-labour---an-overview

http://www.cochrane.org/CD000331/PREG_epidurals-for-pain-relief-in-labour

http://www.cochrane.org/CD009223/PREG_non-opioid-drugs-for-managing-pain-in-labour

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/03/the-most-scientific-birth-is-often-the-least-technological-birth/254420/

http://evidencebasedbirth.com/friedmans-curve-and-failure-to-progress-a-leading-cause-of-unplanned-c-sections/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4235054/

http://evidencebasedbirth.com/updated-table-on-the-state-of-maternity-care-in-the-u-s/

Cascade of Interventions http://www.birthtakesavillage.com/induction-risks/cascade-of-interventions/

PROM (Premature Rupture of Membranes)

https://doulamomma.wordpress.com/2009/07/22/when-your-water-breaks-before-labor-begins/

https://evidencebasedbirth.com/evidence-inducing-labor-water-breaks-term/

https://www.scienceandsensibility.org/p/bl/et/blogid=2&blogaid=68

If you have Gestational Diabetes

https://evidencebasedbirth.com/does-gestational-diabetes-always-mean-a-big-baby-and-induction/

Drug-Free Pain Relief

http://www.bellybelly.com.au/birth/natural-pain-relief-for-labour/

Cervical Exams

http://midwifethinking.com/2015/05/02/vaginal-examinations-a-symptom-of-a-cervix-centric-birth-culture/

http://www.birthtakesavillage.com/cervical-exams-birth/

http://www.obgyn.net/articles/many-pelvic-exams-are-medically-unjustified

http://www.cochrane.org/CD010088/routine-vaginal-examinations-in-labour

http://www.pregnantchicken.com/pregnant-chicken-blog/2014/8/6/your-vagina-is-not-a-crystal-ball

Continuous Fetal Monitoring

http://evidencebasedbirth.com/evidence-based-fetal-monitoring/

https://cerebralpalsynewstoday.com/2016/12/09/electronic-fetal-monitoring-no-benefits-plenty-of-harm

http://www.evidentlycochrane.net/fetal-monitoring-in-labour-the-challenge-of-balancing-the-benefits-with-harms/

http://pathwaystofamilywellness.org/Pregnancy-Birth/wolf-in-sheeps-clothing-the-potential-dangers-of-epidural-anesthesia.html

Labour

http://spinningbabies.com/start/in-labor/labor-patterns/

http://evidencebasedbirth.com/are-iv-fluids-necessary-during-labor/

http://evidencebasedbirth.com/q-a-food-and-drink-during-labor-9/

http://spinningbabies.com/start/in-labor/tips-for-labor-progress/

http://spinningbabies.com/start/in-labor/what-to-do-when-in-labor/

http://evidencebasedbirth.com/friedmans-curve-and-failure-to-progress-a-leading-cause-of-unplanned-c-sections/

Pushing/Birth Positions

Whenever possible, keep moving during your labour/birthing process! Listen to your body! Your body and baby will tell you what position is most comfortable as you labour, and that is often exactly what your body needs to do to move baby down into your pelvis and into the correct position for birth. Even if you have chosen an epidural, depending on how your body reacts, you may still be able to be in more of an upright position to let gravity do it's work!

http://evidencebasedbirth.com/what-is-the-evidence-for-pushing-positions/

http://www.birthbeyondbias.com/birthbeyondbias/2014/11/18/push-until-youre-purple

http://www.natural-pregnancy-midwife.com/positions-for-birth.html

http://wisewomanwayofbirth.com/pushing-for-primips/